Adjustable wire formed hat holder



April 6, 1937. I s. THORNTON 2,076,326

ADJUSTABLE WIRE FORMED HAT HOLDER Filed April 22, 1956 a AP 5 i riPatented Apr. 6, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application April 22,

1936, Serial No. 75,880

In Australia April 23, 1935 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for insertion into the crown of a hatfor the purpose of ensuring that the hat shall retain its shape whileout of use. At present, to preserve a hat, the

crown is sometimes stuffed with paper but this invention provides alight and economically made device that is adapted to fit into thevarious sized hats and to be secured therein to protect the crown andrim while the hat is suspended from a hook or left supported on thedevice. Its service to headwear is therefore, in effect, similar to thatof the boot-jack to footwear.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 shows the device in perspective view and extended, looking frombelow and Fig. 2 is a plan View of same, contracted, taken also frombelow.

The device comprises one or more circles of wire, the ends of whichoverlap and are loosely secured to each other. They are formed slightlyelliptical and are substantially of equal diameters.

A third circle is of greater diameter and its ends also overlap while itis connected into the smaller system. A finger frame of wire or otherconvenient means such as a plate connects into or hooks over theover-lapping portions of the smaller forms of wire for the purpose ofcontracting the systems, as will be hereinafter explained.

A convenient mode of carrying the invention into eflect is by bending awire 3 into circular form, but slightly elliptical, with the free endsconsiderably overlapping and loosely attached as at 4. Arrangedimmediately above the member 3 is another circular form of wire 5 withits ends over-lapping and attached loosely at 4. This part has the samedimensions as member 3 and is maintained in position over that member bymeans hereinafter described.

The third or larger member 6 is of the same material bent into circularform with the ends over-lapping and slidably attached as at 4. Incliningstruts l are securely mounted at intervals on members 6 and 5, the endof each strut being loosely connected to a post 8 secured to anddepending from the member 3. By means, therefore, of the struts andconnections the parts 6, 5 and 3 can be maintained in proper positionsand the whole conveniently supported. Furthermore, the posts 8 permit ofthe member 3 being moved away from 5, such as when the device is placedin the crown of a soft hat, to fill or occupy the crown. The outwardends of the struts may be continued beyond member 6 and formed into feet9 upon which the device can stand and a loop in can be formed andloosely attached to 5 through which it can be hung upon a hook or pegwhile supporting a hat.

To facilitate the introduction of the device or 60 frame into hats ofdifferent sizes a finger frame H is made to engage between theoverlapping parts of members 3 and 5 near the connections 4 and a thumbloop I2 is opposite on member 5. With the frame upside down and in theposition shown in Fig. 1, the thumb is placed in i2 and the fingers overII when, by drawing the parts together part II will come against theconnections 4 and members 3 and 5 will be caused to further overlap andwill be thus contracted. At the same time the movements of 3 and 5 willbe communi cated to member 6 through the posts 8 and struts l to cause 6to follow the movements of 3 and 5, when the whole device will becontracted, as shown in Fig. 2. In this position it is placed in thecrown of a hat and on releasing the part II the wire forms will reactthrough their own resiliency and the crown of the hat will be engaged by3 and 5, while 1 lies upon the hat rim. Thus,womens hats can bepreserved in shape and from damage while not in use by the device anddisposed of on hooks in an orderly manner until again required. Thedevice will be found especially useful in schools, banks, factories andoffices where hats are discarded during working hours.

It is mostly for use on soft hats but it may be employed in thepreservation of headwear generally. It further may be possible todispense with the member 3 and posts 8 and to rely upon members 5 and 6with the attached struts and a plate in place of the part II that hooksover and into the over-lapping ends of member 5, for the purposesexplained.

I claim:-

1. In a hat holder, a wire in circular form with the ends over-lappingand loosely secured, a larger member in same form, inclining strutsconnecting the two circular wires and a bar or frame loosely engagingthe over-lapping ends of the smaller member.

2. In a hat holder, a wire in circular form with the ends over-lappingand loosely secured, a second wire of equal dimension and. form belowthe first, a third and larger member with over-lapping ends, incliningstruts connecting the said third member with the others and a bar orframe loosely engaging the over-lapping ends of said smaller members.

3. In a hat holder, a wire in circular form with the ends over-lappingand loosely secured, a second wire of equal dimension and form below thefirst, a third and larger member with over-lapping ends, posts arrangedat intervals depending from the first smaller member, inclining strutssecured to the third and the second smaller member in slidableengagement with said posts and a bar or frame loosely engaging theoverlapping ends of said smaller members.

SALLIE THORNTON.

